Friday, April 7

Frenchman

With this season drawing to a close and the playoffs merely a dream, I’m sure everyone is looking forward to next season. In amongst the draft hype of who the Sonics will pick this spring, you’ve got to wonder about the current roster, as well as people like Mickael Gelabale.

I know what you’re thinking: What’s a Mickael Gelabale? Well, he’s a 6’8” SG/SF with a massive wingspan who can hit jump shots, play tough defense, and handle the ball on occasion. He’s also a possibility for the Sonics’ roster next season after being drafted in the 2nd round last spring.

Currently, Gelabale is playing for Real Madrid in the European League, where he averaged 8 ppg in about 23 minutes during the regular season. Of note, he shot close to 50% from the field, including nearly 40% from 3 point range and 77% from the FT line. (Coincidentally, one of his teammates at RM is former Sonic tryout and ex-Duck Alex Scales).

Gelabale played solid minutes during the regular season, posting double-digits in scoring seven times, but has yet to reach double figures in the post-season, which is going on as I write this. In all honesty, his stats regressed from the previous year with Real Madrid, but it seems to be more of a fewer minutes situation than anything else.

Gelabale is like a combination of Damien Wilkins and Desmond Mason if you ask me. He can block a few shots, hit the occasional 3, hit his free throws, and play good perimeter defense. He’s hit a high percentage of his shots in the Euro league, but I’m curious if that’s because he’s able to get separation from people over there – something he would have more difficulty doing in the NBA. It’s worth noting that one of his teammates at RM is Louis Bullock (former Michigan star), who regularly scores 20+ points in the Euro League (just to give some frame of reference to Gelabale’s stats).

In reading about Gelabale, one nice thing about him that emerges is that he’s not the kind of player who forces a shot, something which would work to his advantage in Seattle. He’s never going to be option #1 or even #2 on offense as a Sonic, so if he can lay back and wait for his shot he can be effective, sort of the way Damien was last year in the playoffs. As someone who can slash to the hoop, hit 18-foot jumpers, or come off screens, Gelabale can score in the NBA. Whether he can hit the NBA 3 is yet to be seen. As a bonus, he has played the point on occasion for Real Madrid, and showed the ability to handle the ball with decent ability.

Thanks for your input, Frenchie. Having watched Gelabale play, that's quite a compliment for you to say he was better than Pietrus or Parker (I've always loved watching Pietrus play for Golden State; the whole multiple-position thing is a uniquely European asset - Kukoc, Nowitzki, etc.).

Let us know whenever you hear anything on the téléphone arabe regarding if Gelabale plans to come to Seattle.

That makes sense. I read a quote from Gelabale on the internet where he said he "might" come to Seattle, leading me to think that he still might stay in Europe, but I guess he has to be careful in what he says to the press.

Anybody else wonder how many minutes Gelabale could get for Seattle? As I see it, the next season could break down like this:

PG: Ridnour 30 minWatson 25 min

SG: Allen 35 minWilkins 18 min

SF: Lewis 35 min

PF: Wilcox 30 minCollison 25 min

C: Petro 20 minSwift 20 min

That's enough minutes right there to just about fill up one game, and Gelabale hasn't gotten off the bench yet. His minutes would have to come from somebody else's, but I don't know who that would be. Any guesses? [And, yes, Biggie, we know who you think they should sit (it rhymes with puke).]

Seems pretty inconsistent from the numbers. Hard to see where he would fit in. Then again, I don't see where our next draft picks will fit in either if we don't get rid of someone (like, maybe Soft Lew). We'll already have Moore, Wilks & Felix benching most of the time, with Earl, Nick, Omen & Swift/Petro seeing most/all of the back-up action.

Makes you wonder what the Sonics plan to do with their draft pick this year. If they package it with Danny Fortson's expiring contract (sorry, Fort, but you know your time here is numbered, right?), they might be able to get a veteran center that can help the youngsters.

Or, better yet, send the pick with Fortson and something else to Toronto for Chris Bosh. A man can dream, right?

Just wondering, Frenchie, but what sort of talk has Johan Petro received in France since his solid play with the Sonics? I know NBA basketball must rank pretty low on the newscasts, but I'm curious what notice he's received, if any.

I actually like the rotation hill is using concerning Ridnour/Watson. Since Watson has been here, it looks to me like Luke is playing alot smarter.

I hope this Gelabale kid comes over next season, I wanna see how he does in the summer league. If he's anything like Pietrus then I'm all for it. Don't trade the draft pick, draft a good player. Then once we figure out what we've got (unlike how we did with L. Roberts) then we can talk about trades. Unless we can trade up to get Roy, then, pull the trigger.

How high do you think Roy is going to go Big? I'd like the Blazers to grab him, but I'm not sure if he's worth whatever high pick they're most likely going to get. Supes will get a lotto pick, won't they?

"Just wondering, Frenchie, but what sort of talk has Johan Petro received in France since his solid play with the Sonics? I know NBA basketball must rank pretty low on the newscasts, but I'm curious what notice he's received, if any."

NBA basketball is more and more present in our medias because of the very solid season of some of our players (Parker, Diaw)

There is also a Noah mania because his father is a legend in France, a lot of people just discovered the existence of the NCAA with him:)

But Petro is not very mediatized for the moment, of course sports channels (we even have NBA TV in France !;) ), sports magazine are talking about him but not the others medias...

It will come with his progress. If Gelabale comes it will help too (two french players in the same NBA team is something incredible)

But seattle is becoming one of the favourite franchise of french people

Don't trip frenchie, your poor english is waaaaaay better than my poor french, which basically consists of a few swear words and questions like "do you speak french" which really doesn't help me because I don't speak it. lol

If Gelabale comes though, can we get him a cap that fits?? That thing looks like one of those little football helmets you used to get in gumball machines.

That mock draft is horrible. They have the Blazers taking 2 6-7 PF's, and Mike fucking Gansey going to Toronto in the second round. That shit ain't gonna happen. BTW, if Portland drafts Morrison, I'm switching my hoops affiliation to the Sonics.

It's strange, I liked watching Gansey and WVa in the tourney the past couple of seasons, just because they were all white guys, but didn't play like white guys. It's hard to explain, but it's easy to hate Duke because they all look they come from money, but the WV guys all looked like they came from West Virginia.

That said, I would be shocked if Gansey ever becomes more than bench filler in the NBA. He's a determined young man, but that doesn't make up for the talent gap.

Bottom line, the key word in any mock draft is "mock," as in it is easy to mock them because the guys that make them are flat-out guessing.

Lance, the wagon is full buddy, sorry. :) You can bet your ass they're taking Zagboy. Hey, the kid can play, at least it's not Reddick. When they draft him tell him we said we're happy he's there and not here. lol

You might wanna go get yourself some TP, 'cause you might shit yourself, but I think Gansey is the best white kid comin out, kinda reminds me of Rex. Funny story, the point guard from WV, a black kid, during a close game called his team over in the huddle and said "allright y'all, they aren't respecting my white boys, let's show 'em that my white boys can play some ball".

For my money, the best NCAA game of the past 2 seasons was last year when WV won in double OT in the 2nd round. Gansey went crazy towards the end of regulation and into OT - hitting 3's, blocking shots, making steals. It was like he was channeling Larry Bird and Reggie Miller all in one motion. No matter what he looks like - you can't help but root for the guy because of his passion.

I tried to avoid using his skin color in that last post of mine. But I couldn't say he was the best overall player and I was really looking at the white kids comin out, and I would choose Gansey were I a GM. The kid has got a game that I think translates well in the NBA, kinda like Rex, but towards the end of his career, ya know when he 'dunked like your mother and shot like a brother' as opposed to when he came in the league and 'shot like your mother and dunked like a brother'. lol

Are we all forgetting Pat Ewing, David Wingate and all the other guys in the Big East who started the whole tee-shirt under the jersey phenomenom. Plus, didn't Charlie Villanueva wear a shirt when he was at UConn?

But I believe it would be easier for you to see the value of his stats with Mike Pietrus's Statistics in the same competition :

11,5pts 4 rebounds 0,6 assists in 26 minutes

He scored more because he was one of the stars of the team (he had the ball a lot more than Gelabale) and because he had 2 big games (23 and 21 points) but like i already said Gelabale played better (more constant)